


Zootopia: Dangerous Partners

by VariableMammal



Series: Zootopia: Partners [15]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Team Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 08:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6696775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VariableMammal/pseuds/VariableMammal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps team up with an eccentric agent to hunt an equally eccentric criminal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zootopia: Dangerous Partners

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment 5:30 AM-

 

    Judy Wilde-Hopps took in the hushed sounds of the shower water falling as she prepared for work. She always seemed to be the first up, and she knew she'd probably have to kick her husband Nick out bed as soon as she finished her shower so they wouldn't end up being late. She flinched a bit as the lights flickered.  
  
    "Not again," Judy complained to herself, and quickly tried to finish rinsing the shampoo out of her fur. Just as she was finishing up, however, the lights completely gave out, leaving her unable to see anything. "Great. Nick? Nick are you up? Nick!"  
  
    "Just about," Nick grumbled sleepily from the bed. He opened his eyes slowly, preparing to have to blink rapidly as Judy usually left the light on in their room to encourage him to get up, but the lights were all off. "Wait, is the power out again?" He got out of bed, flicking the light switch a couple of times.  
  
    "Yeah, I can't see anything," Judy said, fumbling to turn off the water.  
  
    "Okay sweetie, I'll be right there," Nick grabbed a towel and headed for the bathroom. He could rather easily see in the dark, being a fox, so he rushed to Judy's aid. Heading into the shower, he took in how odd Judy's eyes looked when they were unseeing, yet wide open, staring straight ahead as she waited there for him, just standing still. But, as soon as he began to wrap the towel around her, any anxiety present in her face melted right away. He had to admit he kind of liked being able to do this for her.  
  
    "Mm, my hero," Judy hummed in appreciation as Nick briskly gave her a preliminary drying so she wouldn't drip everywhere. He then picked her up and carried her over to the counter, and set her down by it. Judy wished the holding had lasted a little longer. Nick found his phone and activated the flashlight function so Judy could continue getting ready. "Thank you for being my eyes, Nicholas..." Her smile to Nick was so heartfelt that he couldn't help returning it.  
  
    "Any time, as long as I can rely on these lovely ears," Nick smooched both of them. Judy smiled after him as he headed off into the dark shower. She felt a soft, romantic rush at all the little moments they shared, as they were still recently married. She hoped that feeling wouldn't fade any time soon.  
  
    "This is the third time this week, right?" Nick said as he turned the water on. "What's going on, anyway?"  
  
    "I don't know," Judy picked up her own phone and scrolled through the news. "But it's not just Aardvark Rise, a  _lot_ of blackouts are being reported."  
  
    "Hm, wonder what's going on then," Nick said, starting to shampoo his fur, "I don't like being in the  _dark_ about things like this."  
  
    "Wow, you're lucky I don't know exactly where you are right now," Judy smirked, trying to turn on her blow-dryer, which of course, did not work. She glared at the device, annoyed at her own lapse. "Oh, muffins."

 

* * *

  
  
-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:10 AM-

  
  
    Judy and Nick's fur was still slightly damp as they listened to Chief Bogo's morning briefing.  
  
    "All right, you all have your assignments," Chief Bogo took off his glasses, "now, we have something of an esteemed guest with us this morning to speak on the recent blackouts. He comes to us from a city all the way over on the west coast." Bogo headed over to the back of the briefing room and folded his arms. For awhile, nothing seemed like it was happening. Judy stood up on her tiptoes in her seat to see if she could see anything. Then, suddenly, a figure leaped up onto the podium, a figure only about as tall as Judy. She took in a terse, astonished gasp, and Nick's eyes flew all the way open.  
  
    It was a _duck_!  
  
    Judy's eyes hungrily consumed every detail she could from the duck, from top to bottom, as she had never seen a bird in person before. He wore a wide-brimmed, gray hat with a black band around it that had a badge at the center. Judy could not make out what the badge said. His head feathers were a striking emerald, nearly iridescent, and his face went on to a bright yellow beak with a small black triangle at the tip of it. He had intense, focused brown eyes. He wore a dull purple trench-coat that seemed to take up most of his body. At his hips were two, unfamiliar-shaped black guns, with purple decorations.  He stood on the podium with vivid orange feet. Judy shook her head in wonderment.  
  
    "I am Special Agent Drake Mallard," he began. Judy took in the voice she would describe as determined, steely, and a bit wizened. His eyes narrowed. "But that is not what I am  _known_ as in my great city of St. Canard, OH NO! They call me the terror that flaps in the night. They call me the hammer that drives in the nails of justice! They call me...!" At this point he held up his feathery forefinger, dramatically pointing into the air.  
  
    " _DARKWING DUCK_!"  
  
    Absolute silence was the only reply. Not a single mammal in the room knew how to react. Even Chief Bogo looked taken aback. Judy felt a subtle thrill. Nick was baffled. Officer Fangmeyer coughed.  
  
    "...Anyway," Drake's eyes half-lid as he saw no one was impressed. "I am indeed here to discuss with you the blackouts that have recently occurred. A rather... infamous criminal has escaped St. Canard, and we believe he might be seeking refuge in this city. Technical officer?"  
  
    Karen Skippel, an arctic hare technical officer, spastically flailed out of the trance the eccentric agent had her in, and activated a projector. A picture of a scraggly looking brown rodent appeared on screen. His front teeth were slightly long, and his fur looked unkempt.  
  
    "Elmo Sputterspark," Drake drew out the name, making a "tsk tsk tsk" sound. "He is a-"  
  
    "A mouse?" Officer Delgato piped up in disbelief. "The criminal is a tiny mouse?"  
  
    "Quiet, Delgato," Bogo warned the tiger.  
  
    "Rat, actually," Drake said in a bit of a drone. "But Sputterspark had some things done to him, against his will. Technological symbiosis, they called it. Ha! Bunch of nonsense... what they created, was THIS!" Drake dramatically pointed at the board. The slide didn't change. Drake looked desperately at it. Karen flinched and hit the next slide quickly, her lips pursed.  
  
    The rat was now wearing a yellow jumpsuit, and wore blue gauntlets and boots. The gloves had colored wires running from them into a strange looking pack on his back. The area around Elmo was filled with blue sparks and electrical arcs. He wore transparent goggles. He looked a tiny bit more unhinged than before.  
  
    "Sputterspark is now able to control electrical power at his whim," Drake said, pacing around the podium's top. "He can also drain it from devices just with a touch of his gloves. He now does not respond to his given name. He's known only as..." Drake leaned in and muttered the next word menacingly. "Megavolt."  
  
    "Dear, are you absolutely sure we're both, in fact, awake right now?" Nick whispered.  
  
    "Far as I know?" Judy said quietly, shrugging.  
  
    "Now!" Drake said, straightening back up. "All members of the ZPD should regard Sputterspark with extreme caution. He is small, true, but there is still serious potential for injury. Especially...!" He pointed at an officer's hip in the front row. "Your stun guns. Do not, under any circumstances, fire them at Sputterspark! Not only will he just absorb the shock, but he might even send a feedback blast along the wires, destroying your gun and potentially harming YOU in the process!"  
  
    Judy drank this all in with a combination of disbelief and fascination. Her arm shot up.  
  
    "Bunny!" Drake pointed to her in acknowledgement, the other hand behind his back.  
  
    "What can we do to help, Special Agent Mallard?" Judy asked eagerly.  
  
    "Keep an eye out for any unusual blackouts and make sure I am informed. I'm constructing a map of Sputterspark's movements. He's usually erratic with his targets, but with enough data points I might be able to guess randomly at where he will strike next. I've been doing this  _quite_ awhile... He's looking to consume your electricity. I have already informed the Little Rodentia Police Department, as he is most likely to try to blend in there. Stay vigilant! That will be all!" Drake hopped down out of sight, and for a moment no one could see him. Then, he reappeared near the door and wandered out anticlimactically. Murmuring immediately broke out.  
  
    "Enough gossiping, schoolchildren," Bogo got up, unfolding his arms. "Get to work!"  
  
    "Did you see how small he was?" Judy asked Nick as they left, trying to approximate his height with her paws. "I think he was only about as tall as me! And he's a _Special Agent_?"  
  
    "I guess anyone can be anything in St. Canard, too," Nick smirked. "Including a rat that can shoot lightning."

 

* * *

  
  
-The Big Donut, Eastern Sahara Square Branch 11:00 AM-

  

    "This was a little bit out of the way," Nick smirked as Judy pulled their police cruiser up next to a small, sleek purple motorcycle. "Our rounds barely took us into Sahara Square today."  
  
    "You know why I wanted to get a snack here, Nick," Judy looked at him with her eyes half-lid, parking the vehicle.  
  
    "Of course I do," Nick said. "This is where you asked me to move in with you."  
  
    "That's a good boy," Judy winked. "Maybe I'll pay for the snack since you remembered."  
  
    "How could I have forgotten?" Nick chuckled nervously. "I think I was more shocked then than when you accidentally shot me with your stun gun that one time."  
  
    "Sorry about that!" Judy gave an apologetic, toothy smile. Both of them began to stand in line. As usual, Nick was content to just stare vacantly off into the distance, while Judy liked to animal-watch while in line, else she got antsy. By sheer chance, Drake Mallard was sitting there in a large booth. Judy gasped in wonder.  
  
    "It's HIM!" Judy hissed. "It's Special Agent Mallard!" Her voice leaped up. "Oh, I'm going to go see if I can say hi." She flicked her hand at Nick dismissively. "Just get us both your usual."  
  
    "You got it, boss," Nick shrugged, rolling his eyes at Judy's star-struck reaction. Drake was sipping some dark coffee and dutifully scanning the papers for anomalies when Judy approached.  
  
    "Special Agent Mallard?" Judy greeted. Drake looked up with a rather bored expression. "Officer Judy Wilde-Hopps!"  
  
    "Ah, the bunny from the briefing," Drake nodded. "What can I do for you?"  
  
    "I was wondering, um, you wouldn't mind if my partner and I had our brunch here with you?" Judy looked hopeful.  
  
    Drake seemed unimpressed, but said: "No. I wouldn't." The lack of enthusiasm in his voice made Judy hesitate, as she thought he actually had turned her down. But, he indicated the large amount of space at the other side of the table. "Have a seat, Officer Wilde-Hopps." She did so.  
  
    "Thank you, Special Agent Mallard!" Judy seemed excited.  
  
    "Please, call me Darkwing," Drake said in what he believed was a suave voice, fluttering the newspaper in front of him. Nick, a bit less impressed, set down a hazelnut coffee for both Judy and himself, and a couple of blueberry muffins. Nick blinked as he saw Drake's plate.  
  
    "Are you eating... plain bread?" Nick seemed surprised. Drake looked down at his plate.  
  
    "I am," Drake nodded, smirking. "Very good." His tone was sarcastic. "I suppose you two are detectives, then?" Judy laughed brightly, Nick started chuckling, and even Drake allowed himself an exhale of amusement.  
  
    "Darkwing, can you tell us more about Elmo Sputterspark?" Judy asked, sipping her coffee.  
  
    "You're really gonna call him 'Darkwing'?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.  
  
    "Huh, Elmo," Drake set down the newspaper, sighing, his expression unexpectedly softening. "It's kind of a shame, really. He was just a normal, law-abiding power technician before everything went wrong. No arrest history, just a little bit neurotic. Electrician was a good fit for him. Rats can get just about anywhere with their scurrying."  
  
    "What happened to him?" Nick asked.  
  
    "Science," Drake's shoulders chucked. "An organization known as F.O.W.L. kidnapped him and experimented on him. Wanted to create a 'technological symbosis' with him or some nonsense. The amount of electricity Elmo has stored up in his pack now affects his mood. He's... I believe he is driven to  _feed_ on electricity, though I don't know if this is actually a physiological need or a psychological one."  
  
    "Just how dangerous is he?" Judy inquired.  
  
    "Depends on how much electricity he gets," Drake took a bite of bread. "He gets slightly more aggressive when he's had a big hit. If we can somehow find him before he feeds too much, he'll be much easier to deal with. He can do a lot of harm but... some of him is still Elmo, and not 'Megavolt'. He tries to keep civilian casualties to a minimum, but he does do a lot of property damage. Singed a few of my feathers once or twice, though."  
  
    "We'll be sure to let you know if we experience any more outages," Nick said. "My bunny's sick of taking showers in the dark."  
  
    Drake blinked at this, and read Nick's name-tag. "Wilde-Hopps? You two are... married?" Judy nodded, trying to gauge his reaction. Drake seemed impressed. "That's quite something."  
  
    "Are  _you_ married?" Judy shot back curiously.  
  
    "Oh no, not me," Drake shook his head, but held a finger up. "I do have a daughter, though!"  
  
    "Really?" Both Wilde-Hopps blurted, looking surprised. Drake popped out his phone, which had a garish purple cover, and flipped to a picture. Both leaned in as he turned it around to show them. It was Drake, who was wearing what Judy admitted was an ugly argyle sweater and barely matching slacks, who was proudly standing near a little goose girl, his arm around her. The girl was spunky, perky and vivacious looking; in the picture she was in the middle of glomping onto her father, wearing sporty looking clothes. The tips of her head-feathers were grown out a bit and dyed orange.  
  
    "She's _adorable_!" Judy gasped. She was enchanted.  
  
    "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Drake sat back, folding his arms proudly as both Nick and Judy gazed in wonder. "Adopted, but she's my daughter all the same. Name's Gosalyn. Loving little scamp. Bit of a tombird. The reason I fight so hard to keep St. Canard safe."  
  
    "You," Nick felt a swell in his chest. "That's... mm. That's very nice. Admirable..."  
  
    "You all right, fox?" Drake chuckled lightly.  
  
    "Yeah it's just," Nick looked at the adoring and adorable goose girl. "Having something to fight for like that, that's really great. ...What happens when you're not around?"  
  
    "Oh!" Drake nodded. "I have a good friend, a pelican named Launchpad McQuack. "He's practically her uncle. Super patient when I need her babysat."  
  
    "I never would have guessed you were a family animal," Nick's admiration for Drake had clearly skyrocketed from a few minutes ago.  
  
    "And I never would have guessed a fox and a bunny would be married police partners!" Drake chuckled. "I guess this world's just full of surprises, huh?"  
  
    "Yeah, like a rat that can shoot lightning," Judy flashed her teeth in a grin.  
  
    "Don't remind me," Drake's eyes half-lid as he grumbled lowly.  
  
    "Do they speak much birdish in St. Canard?" Judy asked.  
  
    " _BIrdish_..." Drake rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "My voice is a little too low to hit a lot of its subtleties. Mammalian sounds a lot more pleasant. St. Canard has a large population of birds, yes, but we also have many canines, bulls, rodents, et cetera. Bit of a melting pot. Mammalian is still the official language of our whole country, after all. Anyway." Drake finished his bread. "I've got a few more police stations to hit before the day is out. Perhaps we'll see each other again, Officers Wilde-Hopps?"  
  
    "Hopefully!" Judy chirped.  
  
    "Take care, 'Darkwing'," Nick smirked.  
  
    Drake saluted. "Keep the radio chatter up, if anything is suspicious. I have a scanner on my vehicle that can detect all official police lines. If Megavolt shows up, I'll be there." He was gone.  
  
    "He has a _daughter_..." Nick was clearly impressed.  
  
    "He's as sweet as they come, under the surface, it looks like," Judy grinned. "Kinda like someone else I know..."  
  
    Nick didn't have to wonder who she was talking about, her accusing stare said it all. He sighed. "I wonder how he juggles such a dangerous job with having a child..."  
  
    "Yeah..." Judy said; she and her husband sharing a brief look of questioning and perhaps longing.

 

* * *

  
  
-Mr. Big's Residence, 2:00 PM-

  
  
  
    It had been just one day since Judy and Nick had met Drake Mallard. Elmo Sputterspark seemed to perhaps sense that 'Darkwing Duck' was in town, as the attacks on Zootopia's power had become more careful and spotty. A lead was yet to break.  
  
    Judy, alone, and in civilian clothes, approached Mr. Big's desk in his fancy room, waiting patiently for his extremely tall polar bear attendant to set him down on the desk. As it was in Tuntdratown, the room was rather cold, but Judy's expression was warm. The polar bear turned Mr. Big's ornate chair around.  
  
    "Ah, my child," Mr. Big smiled warmly, speaking in his tight, hoarse voice. Judy sometimes wondered how he could see with his enormous eyebrows covering his eyes. Mr. Big invited Judy closer with his hands, where he tenderly, symbolically, and barely kissed at both of her cheeks. "What a delight."  
  
    "Sorry I haven't been keeping in touch," Judy began. "It's just I-"  
  
    "Hnh," Mr. Big held up a hand to interrupt her. "Do not apologize. It is weakness. We are from different worlds; I know you cannot keep dealing with me. Allow me instead to be grateful that you took the time to make sure your wedding could be broadcast up to my family. It was a lovely wedding. Beautiful, even."  
  
    "Thank you, sir," Judy smiled.  
  
    "For you to contact me thusly," Mr. Big rubbed his fingers together on one hand. "Something must be wrong. What is it?"  
  
    "Well, there's a criminal from out of town around," Judy explained. "He's been draining Zootopia's electricity at random and, ah, just happens to be a rodent, so I didn't know if you might know of him?" Judy tilted her head with her hands together.  
  
    "Is this the reason my freezers keep failing?" Mr. Big seemed mildly displeased, but it was always tough to tell if he was majorly displeased. "Name."  
  
    "His name is Elmo Sputterspark. Goes by, ah... Megavolt?"  
  
    "Nevuh heard of him," Mr. Big set his hand down. "Where's he from?"  
  
    "He comes from St. Canard," Judy explained.  
  
    "St. Canahd?" Mr. Big's voice piqued up, and he looked like he might get out of his chair. Judy saw the whites of his eyes briefly. "That place is a circus. I've heard talk of criminals such as a dingo that is made of, and can manipulate, water. A wolf that can turn into a duck, or was it the other way around? A freakish plant/duck monstrosity. And worse... a jester." He shuddered. "Oh, and the jester makes exploding toys or somethin'." Mr. Big flicked his hand.  
  
    "That all sounds very... strange!" Judy admitted. "I'll have to ask Special Agent Drake Mallard about that if I see him ag-"  
  
    "Dahkwing Duck," Mr. Big interrupted her with his enunciation. He was rubbing his chin. "I have heard of him. St. Canahd's finest. Daring duck of mystery, they call him. Champion of right. In St. Canahd, when there's trouble..." He leaned forward. "You call DW."  
  
    "Sounds like he's pretty famous then, if you know him!" Judy chuckled.  
  
    "If you see that Dahkwing," Mr. Big shook a finger at her. "Tell him to keep his St. Canahd freak show out of my town. And tell him, he better find this... this 'Megavolt' before my people do. Else I'm gonna ice 'im. The old fashioned way, if he's broken my freezers again."  
  
    "Hahaha, well!" Judy said anxiously, wondering if it wasn't a good idea to come here after all. "That's great... I think that is all, for now, so I will leave you be!"  
  
    Mr. Big's smile returned, and grew quite large. In a way, it was unsettling. "Goodbye, my child."

 

* * *

  
  
-Mezzo Park Annual Fair 7:45 PM-

  
  
  
    Two nights later, along Mezzo Park's largest open areas, an annual, folksy sort of fair was set up, with rides, games, and little food stands. Bright lights and cheerful sounds started to ring out as the sunlight faded and vanished. Nick and Judy had the night off, and were enjoying the carnival together. Nick currently had Judy sitting on his shoulders, his hands folded up to hold around her ankles. Judy was munching on a fairly big swab of pink and blue cotton candy.  
  
    "This really, really takes me back," Judy sighed in bliss, wearing a white and blue sweater, as the air was chilly. "In almost every possible way. Piggy back ride, cotton candy, being at a  _fair_ in the first place. I dunno why I didn't ask for us to do this sooner."  
  
    "Hey, do any of the Hopps actually come out here for this fair?" Nick asked, unable to see anything on his bunny but her feet, no matter where he looked. He was wearing a green tie and handsome looking black coat.  
  
    "Maybe! I think Jayce said he might?" Judy was curious. "We should look around."  
  
    "I kinda like carrying you like this," Nick admitted. "But it's so hard..."  
  
    "Nicholas!" Judy berated, tapping her feet together on his muzzle. "I'm basically as light as a feather."  
  
    "Not _that_ ," Nick smirked. "These _feet_. I have this intense, powerful craving to tickle them."  
  
    "Well, try to control yourself, my love," Judy laughed. "I don't want to fall-"  
  
    Suddenly, there was a bit of a brownout, the lights everywhere flickering, before turning back on. Nick and Judy flinched.  
  
    "Sputterspark might be here..." Judy whispered.  
  
    "Okay, okay, don't freak out, don't say anything suspicious," Nick said quietly as the rest of the fair-goers quickly returned to normal. "If he is, he could be anywhere, since he's rat-sized. We don't wanna let him know we're on to him. He could make a break for it, or get violent."  
  
    "How do we call for help, then?" Judy wondered.  
  
    "How about you just take my phone," Nick offered up his phone to her, and Judy traded the cotton candy for it. "And why don't you call our 'official' cheetah friend?" Judy's mouth opened as she nodded in understanding. She called the direct line to the front desk of the ZPD.  
  
    "Hello? Clawhauser speaking!" Benjamin Clawhauser said energetically.  
  
    "Oh, BEN! Hi!" Judy said, her voice having a high tone that she could not get away from when she was being duplicitous. "How ARE you?"  
  
    "Oh, I'm doing _just fine_ , Mrs. Wilde-Hopps," Clawhauser wiggled in his seat, delighted. "What's going on, bunny?"  
  
    "I was wondering if you would maybe like to JOIN us! At the FAIR. At MEZZO PARK," Judy talked carefully into the phone. "Maybe BRING SOME FRIENDS. There's someone I think we should MEET HERE!"  
  
    "Not suspicious at all," Nick said dryly, licking at the cotton candy.  
  
    "The Mezzo Park fair? Meet you there to see a friend? Oh you know I can't do that, Judy! I'd love to, but I'm on duty! ...Oh that rhymes!" Clawhauser cackled in delight. "And you know you can't use this line for personal reasons! Don't worry though, I won't tell Bogo. G'bye!" He hung up.  
  
    Judy's eyes half lid. "Unbelievable." She held out Nick's phone and dropped it, and he smoothly caught it and pocketed it.  
  
    "Guess we're on our own, bunny," Nick shrugged. "Let's just keep our eyes out."  
  
    Drake Mallard, however, was only a few blocks away, finishing fueling up his sleek, customized purple motorcycle. He had heard what Clawhauser was saying from the scanner on his vehicle. His eyes narrowed, his cunning mind whirling into gear. He mounted his motorcycle and revved the engine.  
  
    "Let's get dangerous."

 

* * *

  
  
-Mezzo Park Annual Fair 8:02 PM-

  
  
  
    It was a quick drive, but indeed rather dangerous, as Drake hadn't bothered to switch his stylish hat out for his motorcycle helmet. He nearly got into a wreck, a rhino shouting at him as the speeding motorcycle cut him off. He parked the motorcycle near the fairground and headed in to mingle quietly, tugging his trench-coat with both hands.  
  
    "Luckily I'm so small," Drake said to himself, "or I'd stick out like a sore thumb with all these mammals."  
  
    Meanwhile, Nick had set Judy down and they were investigating, trying to be subtle about it. Judy gazed all over a carousel.  
  
    "He could really be anywhere," Judy grit her teeth. "If he's even here. Rats aren't quite as small as mice but he could still hide anywhere."  
  
    "Yeah," Nick said distractedly, rubbing his hand on his chest in a somewhat suspicious way.  
  
    "What are you doing, Nick?" Judy noticed. Nick looked around warily and then briefly opened his coat. His customized stun gun was holstered inside. "You have your piece with you?" She seemed alarmed.  
  
    "You remember a while ago," Nick said. "We encountered a criminal while off-duty and were unarmed. As a result, and thanks to my own suddenly brazen actions, I nearly died. Not gonna let that happen again; I have someone to protect."  
  
    Judy cocked her head, but nodded, smiling. "Remember not to shoot Spu- the suspe- the guy." Judy groaned, trying not to say anything too specific.  
  
    "Come out, come out, wherever you are, you dirty rat..." Drake sang, having his hands primed to grab for either of his guns if need be.  
  
    "Hey!" A hoarse, almost whiny voice rang out. "I bathed today!"  
  
    Drake turned his head to look, slowly, his eyes wide. Looking back at him, with equally wide eyes, was Elmo, in full "Megavolt" outfit, who was popped out of a "whack a rodent" carnival game hole. They both stood unblinking for about five seconds. Then, Elmo suddenly winced, showing his big front teeth.  
  
    "Megavolt!" Drake began to reach for the gun on his left hip with his right hand.  
  
    "Nyuh! Darkwing!? You followed me?" Elmo was startled, but he threw his hands over his head, electricity crackling in them, then gestured forward.  
  
     _FFFZZZTT!_  
  
    Drake grunted and rolled to the side, the bolts missing him as they were aimed too high. The bolts crackled into a group of balloons, sequentially popping all of them in nearly an instant. Drake held his gun level, at Elmo, but he had already started fleeing into the crowd.  
  
    "Megavolt, stop!" Drake began to run after him.  
  
    "Leave me _alone_ , Darkwing...!" Elmo droned in an annoyed tone.  
  
    From the other side of the fair, Judy's ear perked and she stopped moving, leaning her head up into that ear. "I heard something... popping? Like balloons? And now there's shrieking."  
  
    "Wow, I can't hear that at all," Nick marveled, "which way?"  
  
    "Follow me!" Judy beckoned, taking off.  
  
    Elmo was grunting, dodging and weaving between the various mammals. When anyone was in the way, he would gesture in front of himself with both of his hands and let electricity arc between them. There was screaming and gasping as they moved to get out of the rat's way.  
  
    "Megavolt!" Drake shouted, running with his left gun in his hand. "Don't you dare harm any of these civilians!"  
  
    "Wouldn't dream of it, Darkwing...!" Elmo looked up and saw a huge Ferris wheel. He licked his lips and rubbed his hands, blue sparks showering out of them as he rubbed them together. "I'm just so friggin' _hungry_..." An elephant shrieked at the uncanny electrical display and fled from the rat, not seeing Drake, and her foot caught Drake in the chest and he tumbled over.  
  
    "Urgh!" Drake said. While he was down, Elmo grinned, and placed both of his hands on the Ferris wheel. Quickly, power fled from it, and the ride stopped. The pack on Elmo's back began to glow whitish-blue briefly. Several of the mammals on the ride still screamed as they realized they were trapped. Drake struggled to his feet and saw Elmo quickly scurrying up the framework of the ride.  
  
    "Megavolt, get down from there!" Drake yelled, as if he was scolding a child. "What are you doing!?"  
  
    "Trying to get away from you. My therapist said I had to get out more, try new foods," Elmo said in a strangely conversational way. "Zootopia's electricity is pretty tasty, gotta say...!" He ducked his head into some of the cars to look for people. He spotted a couple of male chipmunks. "Hey, do you have any electrical devices on you? I'm _starving_..." The male chipmunks hugged each other, screeching. "Sorry I asked..."  
  
    Drake drew his right gun and held it steady, aiming at the center of the ride.  
  
     _PSHT!_  
  
    The air-powered gun fired out a small grappling hook and Drake had correctly guessed that it wouldn't make it all the way up the Ferris wheel, even though Elmo had nearly made it to the top. Drake, being a small bird, was quite light, and the grapple was strong enough to pull him right to the edge of the framework he had hooked onto, about halfway up. His gun hissed as it began to automatically begin building up air pressure for the next shot. It would be a precious few seconds before Drake could fire it again. He holstered it, and grabbed onto the framework, trying to make it out to the outermost western car's top.  
  
    Meanwhile, Nick and Judy arrived at the base of the powerless Ferris wheel. They saw the action as it began to unfold.  
  
    "It's Darkwing and Megavolt!" Judy stated the obvious, caught up in the moment. She immediately and nimbly started to bounce up the framework and cars acrobatically,  trying to get higher.  
  
    "Judy!" Nick stopped her briefly. "What are you thinking? What's the plan?"  
  
    "Don't know yet!" Judy shouted back down.  
  
    "Oh, of course not!" Nick threw his hands up in exasperation. He took a deep breath, and started to climb up the framework very carefully, as ever since the first case he was "unofficially" a part of, he had quite a fear of falling. "Don't look down..." He decided to climb up on the eastern side of the framework, while Judy bounded over towards Drake at the west.  
  
    Elmo had made it into the top car and was hiding there, as it was empty.  
  
    "I saw you go in there, Megavolt!" Darkwing yelled. "You can't hide!"  
  
    "Why don't you come up here and join me in the car then, Darkwing?" Elmo yelled back. "I'll turn you into fried duck!"  
  
    "I think not..." Drake narrowed his eyes and drew his other gun. Carefully getting his footing on top of the westernmost car, and aiming, he fired. "Suck gas, Megavolt!"  
  
     _PUUHT!_  
  
    A pellet burst out of the gun and into the car, expelling a bluish smoke. Coughing, Elmo scampered onto the top of the car.     
  
    "Give it a _rest_ , will you?" Elmo started tumbling his arms in front of him, acquiring a sparkling charge of bluish energy in both of his fists. He tumbled faster and faster, until he thrust out both hands palm out, and swirling twin balls of lightning spiraled towards Drake.  
  
     _FRRRSHZZT-ZZT!_  
  
    "Gah!" The ball lightning just barely grazed Drake's arm as he tried to edge forward to dodge. He lost his footing and tumbled forwards off of the car. The ball lightning exploded relatively harmlessly on the grass.  
  
    "Darkwing!" Judy called out, quickly springing up and leaping off of a piece of scaffolding and leaping towards Drake, her arms out. Her paws found purchase on the duck. He was so light, and her muscles so tense, she thought she might accidentally throw him straight back up as her arms gave into him. She caught a firm hold of him and landed on top the next car down.  She laid him on the top of the car. "Darkwing, are you okay?"  
  
    "Yes," Drake nodded. "Thank you, my dear." Judy slowly helped Drake to his feet, as he rubbed his arm where he was slightly injured, the material of his coat had burned away at the graze point.  
  
    "Oh, why am I doing this...!?" Nick fretted, standing warily and shakily on top of the easternmost car, trying to collect his nerves and his balance.  
  
    "Give it up, Darkwing, your parlor tricks won't work on me!" Elmo chuckled at seeing him being tended to by the bunny. "Face it, you just aren't very bright!"  
  
    A metaphorical light bulb went off in Nick's head. He drew his stun gun, aiming it up at Elmo.  
  
    Drake sputtered in panic. "What!? NO, you idiot! Don't SHOOT him!" Judy turned her head.  
  
    "Hey, Megavolt!" Nick yelled out.  
  
    "Unh?" Elmo turned to the source of the unfamiliar voice. He grinned at seeing the fox pointing a stun gun at him. He chuckled lightly. "Wow, what a moron." He glared at him and stood out proudly to make himself as big a target as his small rat form would allow.  
  
    "Say cheese!" Nick's gun made a high pitched whine as he activated one of its specialized functions. After a second more, a huge burst of light exploded from the gun in a cone. Though it wasn't aimed at Drake or Judy, they both had to flinch at the bright blast, and Nick had his eyes shut.  
  
    "Urk!" Elmo stood up ramrod straight as he was exposed to the blast, temporarily blinded. "My goggles... they... didn't do anything..."  
  
    "Now's my chance!" Drake said, muttering some numbers to himself. "But we're too far down. Wilde-Hopps, throw me!"  
  
    Judy didn't hesitate, grabbing the duck and flinging him upwards. She was kind of surprised how much air he got. In midair, Drake pulled out his grappling gun and fired it, catching the door of the topmost car. He entered it and quickly made his way to the top of the car, taking out a specialized device from his trench-coat and slapping it on the pack Elmo wore on his back.  
  
    "Ughhhh..." Elmo groaned, starting to look groggy. "Why you gotta do me like that, Darkwing...?"  
  
    "Come on," Drake said, and his voice actually sounded rather reproving instead of angry. "You know the drill."  
  
    Judy balled her fists in excitement at the daring arrest they were just a part of, glancing over from the top of her car to Nick's. Nick's fearlessness had worn off and he was splayed out on the car, hugging onto it in fear. She smiled at him, shaking her head proudly. He winced happily at her.  
  
    "Fine..." Elmo moaned. Drake slapped some tiny handcuffs on him. The device on his back had drained all of his power, and Elmo looked like he would fall asleep any moment.  
  
    "Alright, that's it, Elmo, just take it easy," Drake kept a firm hold of him to make sure he wouldn't fall until the ride's power came back and they could all escape. There was marveling and cheering going on from the fair-goers.  
  
    "There is no Elmo," Elmo droned rather pitifully. "Ooonly Megavolt..."  
  
    Judy's smile slowly vanished. Her excitement started to become tainted with a hint of sadness.

 

* * *

  
  
-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 2:00 PM-

  
  
  
    With the paperwork done and Elmo Sputterspark nearly comatose, Drake Mallard was wrapping things up in Zootopia, but he did stop by the station to see the Wilde-Hopps.  
  
    "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Drake said haughtily, his hands on his hips, a bandage wrapped tightly around his injured arm. "All in a nights work for Darkwing Duck. ...And, two upstanding members of the ZPD."  
  
    "It was very exciting!" Judy admitted, both of her fists vibrating as she scrunched her knees a little.  
  
    "And terrifying," Nick held up a finger. Drake regarded Nick with a smirk.  
  
    "'Say cheese', that was a good one," Drake chuckled. "It was very good indeed." Nicks eyes closed and his mouth opened slightly, and he gave a small shrug.  
  
    "I had a question to ask you, Darkwing," Judy began. "I heard talk of some weird criminals being in St. Canard? Water canines, plant-ducks, shape-shifters... that's not all _true_ , is it?"  
  
    "Unfortunately it is, my dear," Drake sighed, folding his arms. "St. Canard has always tried to lead the world in science, but it's gotten quite away from us in recent times. I hope I'll be able to help rein it back in before they break open a rift to another dimension and I'm left fighting an evil version of myself, or something."  
  
    Nick and Judy laughed awkwardly at the strange joke. One of Drake's pockets started to buzz.  
  
    "Ah, let me get this, one second," Drake answered, his voice suddenly going to a higher register. "Oh hi, sweetie! Yes, dad got the bad guy, he's coming home soon."  
  
    Judy shot Nick a joyful expression, and he winked. There was no doubt who that was.  
  
    "Yeah, okay, yes, okay. Uh, sure, let me put you on Muzzletime," Drake started to say.  
  
    "Shouldn't it be called Billtime?" Judy quipped quickly.  
  
    "Well, a mammal did invent it, you know, Bull Gates," Nick smirked. They shortly were looking into the phone where the bright face of Gosalyn Mallard was looking back.  
  
    "Hey, are you two the ZPD cops that saved my dad's feathery butt?" Gosalyn's voice was plucky and enthusiastic. She saw them both nod. "Keen gear!"  
  
    "I'm Judy Wilde-Hopps, and this is my husband Nick," Judy smiled adoringly at her, waving.  
  
    "Woah, that is SO cool," Gosalyn said, her bluish-green eyes twinkling, "you two should come to St. Canard sometime! We can play ice hockey! I'm warning you though, I'm really good!"  
  
    "I don't doubt it!" Judy smiled brightly. "We better let your father go, though, okay? So he can get back to his cute little goose!"  
  
    "Awh, I am not cute!" Gosalyn protested, and then Drake took the phone again, talking to her for another minute, closing out the conversation with her and hanging up.  
  
    "Kids, huh?" Drake smiled.  
  
    "Yeah, kids," Judy was happy for a moment, but then her smile twisted and she looked quizzical, and looked at Nick, was staring at her with the same sort of unsure expression.  
      
    "Alright well, I hope this won't be the last you see of Darkwing Duck," Drake grinned. He exited the ZPD, and a plume of blue smoke started to envelop him. Nick and Judy watched on, Judy's mouth agape in awe, and they wondered if Drake Mallard wouldn't just be gone when the smoke cleared.  
  
    But, he was still there, coughing and hacking.  
  
    "I thought I unloaded that," Drake said, checking his pellet gun's chamber.


End file.
